Rep. Eshoo is top Dem on tech panel

The congresswoman whose district Google calls home will lead Democrats this year on the House’s top technology panel.

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) elbowed out fellow Energy and Commerce member Rep. Bobby Rush (Ill.) Wednesday to become ranking member on the Communications, Technology and the Internet Subcommittee.

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Her selection after Rush faltered on a 14-9 secret ballot vote caps off weeks of behind-the-scenes elbowing as the two vied for the position, which Rush initially had hoped to win in part through his committee seniority.

Rush, meanwhile, will be the ranking member of the Energy and Power subpanel, his office confirmed to POLITICO, after winning the support of committee Democrats.

Eshoo’s victory may delight some in the tech community, who were gunning for a member close to Silicon Valley to take the reins on the top tech and telecom panel opposite of Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the former broadcaster who now holds the gavel.

Some in the industry also touted Eshoo because of her staunch support for net neutrality — likely to be a huge issue this year, as Walden and other full committee Republicans seek to derail the work of the Federal Communications Commission.

Rush earlier in the day told POLITICO that he was confident in his whip count, and met with the full committee’s 22 other Democrats to shore up votes. But industry sources say he never received the explicit endorsement of ranking member Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who later supported Eshoo.

Also determined Wednesday afternoon: Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) will be the ranking member of the Environment and Economy Subcommittee, Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) will be ranking member on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) will be ranking member of the Oversight and Investigations subpanel.

The full Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday morning to ratify the panel’s membership and leadership positions for the 112th Congress. Robin Bravender contributed to this report.